INSIDE
COMMUNITY
EVENTS B2

CHARLYNN TOEWS

A grating
question

HERE ARE some truly beautiful

grates on my street. Beyond serving

the purely practical purpose of al-

lowing rainwater to flow off the
pavement down the shoulder and into the
mysterious water/sewer system below, they pro-
vide the gratesmith the opportunity to punch
drainage holes in the metal in a number of art-
istic variations.

Some sort of routing tool seems to be used, as
the shapes punched out of the iron all have a
pleasing rounded appearance. There are two
standard types of design in evidence on my
block, with either seven or eight diagonal lines,
like oversize popsicle sticks, providing the
drainage. As the lines are diagonal, the top and
bottom lines are shorter, as they. each only have
a small corner. The top corner cutout is always
smaller than the bottom, resulting in an interest-
ing asymmetry. The eight-lined grates are al-
most square, the scven-lined ones are more rec-
tangular,

It seems to me a plain grid, perfectly square,
would drain water as efficiently, but ] suppose a
gratesmith would get incredibly bored doing
square grid after square grid, perhaps becoming
dangerously apathetic, losing interest in the job,
perhaps finally giving into despair and quitting
it all. Such a person would hardly inspire the
next generation, and without gratesmiths and
grates, where would we all be? Up to our ankles
in cold dirty water, cursing: oyr flooded base-
ments, Scolding our muddy children, angry and

annoyed and inconvenienced,

Instead, we can walk dry-footed and see, first,
and cight-lined grate then a seven, then —-
pretty! — a whimsical starburst, with 12 radiat-
ing lines like a ground clock counting out the
rainy season, Next is another circular design,
rather wild and unconstrained, looking almost
random. But there is a pattern discernible in the
countless small round holes dancing around the
exact centre of lhe square, Only the smallest of
pebbles would wash through this one: not only
well-designed for low maintenance, but most in-
triguing te look at.

With all the variety, each grate seems to have
the same metal/hole ratio, It probably has to do
with maintaining the integrity of the iron: too
many holes and a pedestrian would break
through and sprain an ankle and suc the city; not
enovgh drainage and we might as well not have
a grate there at all.

I feel deep appreciation for both the municipal
Service these litde wonders perform, perhaps
since the time of the Roman aqueducts, and for
the beautification of my comer of the world,
with the effort someone obviously took to make
them not only work weil but look good.

This isn’t to say I don’t like culverts, set as
they are like galvanized jewels in their grassy
ditches. Even the newer plastic ones arc
coloured a cheerful minty green, trying their
best in their own small way to make life just a
bit more pleasant. But it is the grates that have
captured my heart. This is a bias I’m going to
have to work on, perhaps when I'm older.

Khkkk

Char Toews is a new columnist with The Ter-
race Standard, Her first article, whick appeared
Oct, 23, mused about the peculiarities of her
first home, Int response, Florence Braam wrote
this reply:

Dear What?:

I would like lo respond to your article, “A
Poetic Look at Dirty Dishes.’’ I hope it will
cheer you up and make your housework more
enjoyable,

When | walk past your house I always think

- “7 love that house.’’ I lived there for five very
happy years. I was carried over the threshold of
your house 16 and a half years ago. ] brought
my first child home from the hospital to your
cute little house. Many hours of moming sick-
ness were spent listening to the hammering of
the new roof going on replacing the fat roof it
used to have.

My husband spent many weeks with a wheel-
barrow and shovel digging out under the house
so we could install the furnace thal heats the
house. On our second anniversary we pulled a
little cedar twig out of the ground and today it is
that gorgeous tree In your front yard. The
mountain ash slarted from secd in the flower
garden.

You'll notice that the back of the shed is still
not painted. Well, there were lots of raspberries
growing there and I couldn’t get lo it. Sorry.

I hope this will help you understand your
house, Please love it as much as [ do and treat it
with tender loving care, [ plan on retiring in it
some day!

TERRACE STANDARD |

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 13, 1996 - B1

Fur trade still thrives here

ON A COLD November
day you’re more likely to
find 80-year-old Otto Lind-
strom tromping through the
snow, checking his trapline,
than sitting at home, sipping
hot coco.

November is the start of
trapping season and this
month furs are at their peak
condition — thick and un-
damaged;

Lindstrom has been trap-
ping in the New Renio area
for 68 years since he was a
boy, working on his father’s
pre-emption.

The traps have changed a
lot since then, and most
trappers use the instant-kill
variety, but there aren’! too
many other changes.

Les Watmoug

And Lindstrom said he’s
actually catching more
animals these days than
when he first started, despite

concerns of — environ-
mentalists. .
“When we first trapped

“There’s at least ten times
as much for out ‘there
today,”’ he added.

Lindstrom’s trapline
covers 350 sq. miles, and
covers the entire Zymacord
River watershed, including
parts of the Shames ML. ski
hill.

Is one of the biggest
traplines in the area, and one
of the more mountainous.

There are about 20-26
trappers in. the northwest,
and most belong to the
Northwest Trappers Assoc.,
headed up by Les Wat-
mough.

Watmough began trapping
in 1961, and his Jine is at the
Nelso River; at the south
end of Kalum Lake and
covers about 120 sq. miles.

He too agrees that there
are more animals in the
bush these days. He particu-
larly noted marten and
beaver, which he said would
be practically overrunning
the area if it weren't for
trappers.

Lindstrom said logging is
probably the reason for the
increase in animal popula-
tions.

**There’s more cones and
seeds, so the numbers of
small birds and mice in-
crease,’ he said. This in
turn leads to a bigger food
supply for the larger
animals.

Trappers also add to the
food supply, be said. Wheti
they trap for fur, they leave
the animal’s carcass in the
woods for larger animals to
cat, ; _
“If we dov’t protect the

on the Zymacard, we-would ~-breeding: stock we-wouldn't

pick up about 10 marten and
20 beaver in a good year,’’
said Lindstrom. “Today we
could take 5Q beaver and
30-50 «marten and not
endanger the breeding stock
at all.

be in business long,’’ -he
said, ,
On his line Lindstrom
rotates the location of his
six or seven dozen traps, He
only works a particular loca-
lion every two to four years.

OTTO LINDSTROM checks his trapline in New Remo about three times a week

during the winter. Trapping season has just started, and this is when the fur of
the animals will be in its prime. He’s pictured here by one of his three line cabins.

He doesw’t make: enough
money at it to truly call ita
business.

“Tt's too hard to make a
good living — maybe it’s a
secondary jab.”

each, and beavers up to $45.

“It’s enough to keep us in
gas and ail,”’ be said.

However, Watmough said
prices for fur are coming up.
Marien fetch about $40

could live on actually very
few animals.

But the market for fur is
still fairly good, though it’s
changed a lot since the early
part of the century.

Europe, which used to. be

“Tf we don’t protect

wouldn’t be in business long.” -

a major buyer, is being
gradually replaced by Rus-
sia and the Orient.

... In the Orient they enjoy
the fur,’’ said Lindstrom.

the breeding stock we

ae ee Be pt

That’s because beaver and
marten, which are the pri-
mary animals trapped in this
area, aren’l known as luxury
furs.

IF YOU'RE in need of a winter coat for yourself or your child, slop by next week's

Food Bank, which takes place Nov. 18-21, from 1-3 p.m. in the old Ukrainian Hall
on the 4600 block of Walsh St. That's food bank organizer Christine Simmons.

She says more than 200 coats have been donated this

vary good shape.

year, and many are In a

But it’s not the money

That’s a lot better than.$11 which draws Lindstrom to

per beaver, which was the trapping.

going rate four years ago. “LT love being in the
When the fur trade was Woods, and with the

booming though, a trapper animals,”’ he said.

Around Town >

Food bank next week

THE FIRST food bank of the year opens next week, from
Monday, Nov, 18 to Thursday, Nov. 21, from 1-3 p.m. The
first three days take people on an alphabetical basis, Then
Thursday is for anyone missed.

People nceding a warm coat for themselves or their chil-
dren this winter should also drop by. Coats, mitts and ski
pants that have been donated to the Salvation Army will
also be handed out. The garments have been cleaned by
Spotless Cleaners and Richards Cleaners, and there are
about 200 coats to choose from, says food bank organizer
Christine Simmons, She says the quality of the coats is
also very good this year,

The food bank has a good supply of food righi now, but
Simmons says donations are needed for later in the year,

“We're looking pretty good, but by the time this food
bank is over, our cash flow will be down a bit.’’

The food bank is run by local churches and is located in
the old Ukrainian Hall, 4634 Walsh Ave.

As for Christmas hampers, The Salvation Army will be
laking applications from Nov. 25-28 at the food bank
building from 1-3 p.m. each afternoon. .

Auditions coming up

WOULD BE actors take note. Terrace Little Theatre has
two sets of auditions coming up.

The first takes place Nov. 19-20 and is for the play
Buried Child. This Pulitzer prize winning play explores the
inner tensions of rural existence, father-son relationships
and the place women bold in an increasinty ambiguous
doinestic atmosphere.

Director Daniel Barnswell is looking for a man in his
seventies, a woman to play his wife in her mid-sixties, two
grown men to play the couple’s sons, a young man and his
girlfriend, and a protestant minister.

The audilions are at 7:30 p.m. on both the Friday and
Saturday night. Many backstage positions are also avail-
able, so be sure to come down, and bring a friend.

And if you don’t see yourself in any of the above roles,
then you might want to try out for The Watering Place.

The dark comic drama is sct in Chicago during the Viet
nam War. Roles are rquired for one older male, on middle-
aged female, a 22-28 year old soldicr and a young woman.

A reading of the play will be held in the Green Room of
the McColl Playhouse at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 26, Everyone
is welcome, +

Auditions wilt take place Tuesday, Dec. 3 and Wed.,
Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.,in the McColl Playhouse on Kalum St.
Production dates for the play are March 20-29. No experi.
ence is necessary, atid those interested in auditioning are
advised to wear loose clothing for warm-up exercises
which are part of the audition process, Backstage crew
positions are available.

This play {sa Skeena Zone Drama Festival cniry.

For more information, calf Marianne at 635-2942 even-
ings and weekends.

SECTION B
CRIS LEYKAUF
638-7283